PNNL Joins Space Research Group, Bringing Its Nuclear and Cybersecurity Expertise to New Heights

RICHLAND, Wash.—Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are bringing their knowledge of nuclear power, space governance, cybersecurity and technology test beds to the space domain by joining an organization that facilitates collaboration across the global space industry.

PNNL is the first DOE national laboratory to join the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or Space ISAC. The organization serves as a source for data, facts and analysis on space security and threats to space assets. Space ISAC facilitates collaboration across the global space industry, enhancing the ability to prepare for and respond to vulnerabilities, incidents and threats. Members include U.S. agencies, universities and industry partners as well as several international organizations. 

The development comes at a time when space exploration is taking off. A growing number of companies are developing launch vehicles, spacecraft and payloads. Missions to space, some carrying civilians, are being funded and launched both by governments and by companies. Four countries in addition to the United States have landed spacecraft on the moon. Every day, space is becoming more congested: more than 11,000 satellites are now in orbit, and tens of thousands more are projected by the end of the decade.

Managing all that activity and the risks involved requires careful coordination and scientific collaboration involving both public and private actors. 

“Joining the Space ISAC puts us squarely with the leaders exploring space technology and governance,” said Sarah Frazar, a national security analyst at PNNL. “We have a lot to offer federal and industry partners interested in using nuclear technology for space power and propulsion systems. We have a long tradition of helping partners test new technologies as well as understanding and managing the risks involved.”

PNNL also has extensive knowledge about the legal and regulatory challenges of introducing new technologies into space. Challenges include new launch regulations, development of international governance and new performance standards.

“We are thrilled to welcome Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to Space ISAC,” said Erin Miller, executive director of Space ISAC. “Their expertise in national security and cutting-edge research strengthens our collective mission to secure the global space ecosystem.”

PNNL brings 60 years of experience working with the nuclear materials and technologies needed for advanced space exploration. PNNL researchers have supported a variety of space reactor development activities, including the SP-100 and Project Prometheus programs dating back to the late 1980s. While those programs were ultimately cancelled, the question of how to provide more energy in space continues to loom large as planned missions to the moon and Mars proceed. Challenges include environments that are very dark, very cold and very remote. Heat and power from nuclear fission and radioactive decay provide energy-dense options to surmount these challenges.

In recent years, public-private partnerships have become a staple of successful space exploration, and working with industrial and federal partners has flourished at PNNL. Laboratory researchers are collaborating with industry to develop and deploy new types of space nuclear power systems to keep critical components warm and provide electrical energy for years or even decades. In one effort, a team led by PNNL engineer Jeff Katalenich tapped the unique resources of PNNL’s nuclear research and development facility, the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory. The PNNL team worked closely with Zeno Power, a company that is developing commercial radioisotope heat and power systems, to fabricate and validate its strontium-90 heat source design.

Last year, PNNL worked with the Polaris Program, a commercial spaceflight program headed by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, to study the effects of space radiation on materials and human health. The experiment, dubbed OHSNAP—the Orbital High-Energy Space Neutron Activation Project—explored the effects of galactic cosmic rays and the high-energy neutrons created when the cosmic rays hit a spacecraft. Samples were returned to PNNL, where they were analyzed using ultra-low-background radiation detection capabilities in the Shallow Underground Laboratory.

The Laboratory’s work includes research done through the Space Cyber Test Range, a virtual test bed that PNNL operates for the U.S. Space Force. The virtual range supports space cyber development, testing and training across the full spectrum of space-related activities—ground activity, communications, launches and satellites.

In addition, PNNL teams with the Space Force to increase the pipeline of students who are trained to protect space-based technologies from cyber threats. The Cyber Halo Innovation Research Program provides college students with a two-year pathway to a cybersecurity career at Space Systems Command or an industry partner.